The mood started out bright and the cheers loud. Before the tip-off of the Santa Monica College women's basketball game on Wednesday night, the three sophomores on the squad were honored at the team's final home game of the season. Completing their final year of eligibility, Elvia Medina, Cherifa Chatti and Clinae Trainor were each presented with a bouquet of...

Higher education was one of the many important topics President Barack Obama addressed during last Tuesday's State of the Union. For college students, who are constantly bombarded with tuition increases, it was a relief to see the president take a stand for affordable higher education. "Through tax credits, grants and better loans, we have made college more affordable for millions...

A trash truck, while turning left out of an alley onto Colorado Boulevard headed eastbound, ran into a fire hydrant, creating a sprout of water that shot 50 feet in the air, officials said Wednesday afternoon. The truck "sheered the hydrant off its spool," said Jesse Ceseña, employee of Doty Bros., a pipeline contracting company, resulting in the geyser-like stream....

Less than 13 percent of students at Santa Monica College are prepared for college level courses in English and math, according to a report prepared by Hannah Lawler, director of institutional research. The report, Basic Skills Data, was presented to the Board of Trustees at their study session last night. Basic skills, as defined by Lawler, refers to classes that...

During a highly anticipated Board of Trustees meeting on April 3, 2012, 30 civilians were pepper sprayed, Contract Education was postponed, and Santa Monica College was thrust into the national spotlight. After a nine month investigation that collected and reviewed information from surveys, police radio transmissions, and photographic and video records of the night in question, the panel released its...

Santa Monica College successfully completed another winter session, despite facing an operating deficit of $8.5 million, insufficient revenues and shrinking savings, according to SMC Board of Trustee Louis Jaffe. The winter session's cost of $1.8 million added to the college's deficit spending for the current fiscal year, which led to further depletion of the school's fund balance. “[Having the winter...

It is the night before your paper is due, and you are staring at a blank page. As the night goes on, you start to feel drowsy. You know the only thing that will get you through the night is your trusty energy drink. Many college students have tried energy drinks that claim to have it all to deal with...

The flu has been spreading like wildfire, engulfing one person after another. But sometimes even the flu shot cannot prevent you from becoming infected. "The flu shot didn't do anything; I got it, and since then, I got the flu twice this year," says SMC student Richard Martinez. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention emphasizes that everyone should get...

There is an old English proverb that says, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure," meaning that prevention is better than a cure. However, Americans only use half of the preventive services recommended, and the primary reason is cost, according to the Department of Health & Human Services. The Affordable Care Act, which provides preventive health care...

With the onset of spring and the first day of classes, Santa Monica College finally unveiled the hidden structure on Pearl Street: a 400-space bicycle rack, located between 17th and 20th Streets. After months of construction, students slowly flocked to the $600,000 structure, which took six months to complete. "It was a combination of wanting to update our current infrastructure,...